It’s time to play everyone’s favorite parlor game: Casting the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey movie adaptation. When EW spoke on the phone with James Deen last week, we asked The Canyons actor about rumors of possibility starring in the picture. As an adult film star, he already has quite a bit of experience (nearly 4,000 credits) with sex scenes on camera – which, to anyone who has read the book, seems to be a necessary prerequisite for the role. (A rep for Universal declined to comment on casting rumors).

Deen has actually yet to read the book, but like anyone, he’s heard quite a bit about it through friends – and he’d be up for portraying Christian Grey if asked. (Ironically, he’s already playing a Christian opposite Lindsay Lohan’s Tara in The Canyons) “It seems like a character I could have a lot of fun with,” he told EW. “I’ve heard really mixed responses about it, like, ‘Oh, it’s a cheesy Twilight wannabe.’… [but] I think it could be fun. I feel like it could be a really cool, fun role to work on.”

He’s realistic about his chances, however.“I’m that porn guy,” he said. “As I understand, the rumors [for Christian] are some guy who’s on a TV show on USA [Matt Bomer], some model dudes, and Ryan Gosling. I feel like me versus Ryan Gosling? There’s an easy decision on where the studio is going to go. But if I got offered the role, I would definitely consider it. If they wanted me to audition, I would absolutely go in and read for them.”

Ignoring the fact that Gosling seems unlikely to sign on to Fifty Shades (regardless of how much fans might want it), Deen is straightforward about what movie roles he is after, after explaining he’s been offered – and passed – on small parts in a lot of horror/slasher movies. “I want to work on projects that I believe in and that’s it,” he explained. “If Steven Spielberg called me tomorrow and had some project and it was a piece of s*** but he was like, ‘I’ll pay you…’ Well, actually, I’m a whore, if he’d pay me enough money I’d probably do it! [laughs]. But I don’t want to work with people just because of who they are, rather I’d like to work on [stuff I am passionate about].”

And if that standard means he doesn’t take on many mainstream projects, he’s fine with that. “Acting is the easiest thing in the world,” he said. “It’s fun, but it’s not difficult.”